Of Addiction and Neglect
by Aeneid
Summary: In which Kagura gets obsessed with QSP otome games and ignores everything around her. Rating changed due to language and sudden mature content.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama. It belongs to Hideaki Sorachi. I only own the plot, the ideas and the gag in this fanfiction.

* * *

Of Addiction and Neglect

* * *

_Chapter 1_

* * *

Working for Yorozuya Gin-chan had its ups and downs.

The only upside was that she had fun doing the odd jobs with her 'family', whether they were looking for some lost Amanto pet or they needed to track down someone.

The downside was that despite Gin-chan promising them salary, both she and Shimura Shinpachi didn't get a single yen from Gin. She had lodging and everything, but what she wanted was her own money. Sure, Gin was a cheapskate and all, but now that she was growing up (maturing, even), at the age of sixteen, Kagura wanted to buy material stuff that she could call her own.

Of course, asking was the hard part. Gintoki was her father figure, and he took the role _very seriously_. Just like every daughter, it was hard convincing 'dad' to give her money.

"What the hell will you do with that anyway?" He asked absentmindedly one day when she had opened the topic. Sakata Gintoki had been picking his nose while reading his beloved weekly JUMP when Kagura took the chance to ask him for thirty thousand yen. "And I don't have that kind of amount."

_Liar._ "Come on, Gin-chan, pleeeeeeeease?" she tried giving him the biggest puppy eyes look that could rival even Sadaharu's. "I'm a growing girl. I'm a teenager. I want stuff!"

"… And what 'stuff' is that?" _Don't tell me you want to buy **** and ****…! _It was downright scary to think of his daughter growing up and wanting to buy the adult stuff.

"I want a QSP!" she declared boldly to the living room.

"… And why would you want a QSP?" he found it a very odd request from her. Most girls her age had always asked for the luxury items, but then again, Kagura wasn't your typical female. She was a Yato who could kill people in mere seconds, and her asking for a QSP was just… odd.

Not to mention just a bit suspicious.

"Well, Gin-chan, would you rather that I date boys, or you get me a QSP wherein I just virtually date them?"

* * *

She had gotten a bright red QSP-3780 three days later.

Gin-chan complained and complained about how her new handheld had bankrupt all of them, and that they were going to sleep on the streets by tonight, but she was too happy to care.

A QSP was in her hands, and she was going to have so much fun with it!

"Okay, let's try… that game." Getting the mini disc from the game case, she placed it at the back of the QSP port, switched on her handheld and put on her earphones.

Some pop music started playing, and then seven guys suddenly appeared on-screen, all grinning at her.

Kagura smiled to herself.

Hot male specimens, check.

* * *

3 weeks later, Kagura still found herself inside the cabinet that doubled as her bedroom, still staring at her QSP screen. Her vermillion-colored hair, which now reached past her shoulder blades, was a total mess and greasy-looking. Under her eyes were huge eye bags, and her sapphire-colored eyes were red and puffy. The clothes she was wearing were the ones she had worn when she and Gin-chan had gone to Akihabara to get her the QSP.

In short, she had been in the same old clothes she had worn for the last three weeks.

"Kagura-chan, for the love of— what the hell, why does the cabinet stink so much!" at this, Shinpachi screamed in horror at the top of his lungs. "You haven't bathed yet?"

"Nope." She said, running a hand through her hair, grimacing at how bad it looked. "Ugh, I think I need a bath…"

"You do! What the hell, seriously, three weeks without bathing? Kagura, you're a girl, act like one!" Shinpachi then launched a myriad of complaints on how a sixteen year old still didn't know how to act her age before heading off to the kitchen to cook their lunch.

Come to think of it, did she even think of eating _at all_ for the past three weeks?

Putting down her QSP on her 'bed', she slid open the door to the drawer, ignoring the sick looks on Gin's and Sadaharu's faces when she walked past head as she headed to the bathroom for a much-needed bath.

An hour later, the needed bath had both refreshed and cleared her mind, and both males in the Yorozuya breathed a sigh of relief when Kagura donned on a new set of her trademark red _qipao_, her hair still wet from the long bath. Again, she had taken her QSP from her 'room' and started playing once more. Shinpachi had to remove the headphones from her ears as he called her for lunch, and as they ate their meal together, which they had finished in record time, the silver-haired samurai asked, "When was the last time you were out of the house?"

"Uh… I dunno." She estimated it to be three weeks since she got her QSP, but really, why should she keep track of the days anyway? "Two days ago?"

"For my own sanity and yours, go out, have fun under your umbrella! And no bad stuff, you hear?" he said, handing her a floral-printed umbrella and nearly shoving her out of the door. "Don't come back until six in the evening!" and with that, Sakata Gintoki slammed the door at her face.

Kagura could have kicked the door open and throw Gin-chan across the town in retaliation, but knew that he was right. She _did_ need to see the sun from time to time despite her heritage, and it _had_ been a long three weeks since she had been out.

Besides, she needed a new _otome_ game to pass the time, and just before Gintoki had shoved her out, she had managed to grab a handful of bills from his pocket and her QSP from the table.

Counting the bills, the female Yato grinned maniacally as she counted a total of ten thousand yen.

_Watch out, limited edition, I'm gonna get you!_

Giggling to herself, she ran off straight to Akihabara, the umbrella shielding her from the harsh sun.

* * *

Okay, first off, _otome_ games are targeted towards a female market. Usual plot always involves one girl and many guys, whom you date exclusively if you choose said guy's route (but there is a otome game that allows you to date the guys all at the same time). Occasionally, you can also date a girl, but it's a rare thing.

Another thing to note: otome means 'maiden'. XD

Slightly based on a true story wherein a friend of mine got so addicted to otome games that she was oblivious to the world for some time.

Sorry for the weird/crappy title. I guess every Gintama fic I wrote has those 'Of' at the start, hehe.

I think I'll be able to update this fic everyday. Once I hit the 1k mark per chapter, it's an automatic upload for me. As for the other fic, if all goes well, I can update by this Sunday, July 22.

Apologies for the lack of Sougo. He'll appear... soon. XD

Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama. It belongs to Hideaki Sorachi. I only own the plot, the ideas and the gag in this fanfiction.

* * *

Of Addiction and Neglect

* * *

_Chapter 2_

* * *

She walked out of the game store with a huge smile on her face.

Kagura was quite happy with her purchase, for she had managed to snag the limited edition of the game sequel she had been slaving over for the past three weeks. The first one left her squealing over how the guys acted towards her, for their personalities had been very, very different from the men she had come across with in real life. She knew very well that the personalities of the men in the game were heavily modified to fit the wants of girls like her, but to hell with that.

She was having so much fun!

'_Ah, I can't wait to play Renai Uchuu Kaizoku 2: Galaxy Lesson![1] I wonder how the guys would be like this time!'_

She had reached Kabuki-cho around four in the afternoon, but Gin-chan had warned her not to go home until six, so she went off to the Battle Royale Host Restaurant to order a strawberry parfait, something that she had become addicted to, all thanks to two years of living under the same roof as Gintoki. Headphones over her ears, she placed the new game disc at the back of her QSP port and waited for the opening song to play.

Kagura fought the urge not to grin as the catching song started playing, and she got mesmerized over the looks of the handsome space pirates that were introduced in the minute and a half opening. When it was done, she quickly maneuvered over to the character selection list and checked the personality of the men she was going to date.

One of the guys caught her eye, and she nearly twitched when she saw the word to describe the male.

'Do-S Space Pirate'.

'_Why the hell is that guy's personality here? Stupid sadist, you come up with ways of annoying me, even with the things I enjoy!'_

Okita Sougo had been one pain in the ass for Kagura as soon as she had turned sixteen. Once she had turned that age, her body had been developing rapidly, her clothes becoming too short and too tight for her, especially in the chest area. Because of the sudden growth, she was forced to temporarily wear male clothes while her new dresses were being made over at the seamstress's place. One of the male clothes that the sadist saw her in was Shinpachi's old _uwagi_ and _hakama_, which had fitted her nicely and had hidden her growing assets. Most of the time, she was in pain, for it felt like every part of her body was growing.

"What, you're into crossdressing now, China? Is that because you've nothing to show off?"

She promptly aimed a punch at his face, which was a failed attempt, for he dodged it, and delivered a swift kick to her midsection.

Another one of those horrible moments where puberty sucked so much was the fact that she was bleeding every damn month. And on the day that Sougo kicked her, it was the most painful day for her. No amount of Yato blood could withstand the pain of the cramps she was experiencing.

Whoever did this to females everywhere was a total asshole.

"Fucking shit!" she had keeled over both from the impact and the cramps, trying hard not to cry at the fact that the cramps had hurt more than the kick.

"Tch, China, you're growing weak." He remarked in that tone that she really found annoying.

"S-shut up." It was a huge struggle to get up, but with her condition right now, she knew that the provocation wouldn't be worth the bait. She was in pain alright, but all she wanted to do was to curl up in her 'room' and sleep the days away. "And I've no time to play with you."

"Really now." He was staring at her with his blood red eyes. "And who's gonna play with a monster like you?"

She remembered having no retort that day, for she had ran off immediately. The pain had been unbearable, and she had kept crying when she reached Yorozuya Gin-chan minutes later. She didn't want to admit it, but for some reason, when sadist called her a monster, she felt a sharp pain in her chest, and the tears just started to fall down her eyes, down to her cheeks and her chin. Admittedly, it temporarily took her mind off the cramps, but when she had calmed down, the pain in her abdomen was back, and she was crying harder than ever. Gin and Shinpachi had freaked out when they saw her face, tears and snot mixing all together, but after being assured by _anego_ that it was normal, they treated her so well that she wondered if they were the same person.

The next day, when everything had calmed down, that was when she asked Gin-chan if he could get her a QSP.

If no one wanted to approach her because they found her scary, rude, inappropriate and violent, well, she would have to find a way.

And found a way she did.

The otome games on the QSP were perfect for someone like her. And how would Gin-chan know if she was dating anyway? He barely moved his ass, thanks to his obsession with JUMP and cooping himself in the office ensured that he wouldn't even be looking out for her whenever she was away.

Ha, that would show idiot sadist!

Sure, it would probably send Gin-chan to the hospital room, and it might even force Papi to come back to Earth, but to see sadist shocked, speechless and gaping at her would be worth it.

Smirking to herself, she made her choice in dating the first space pirate, who apparently was the youngest of the bunch, a year younger than the heroine (whom she had named Sakata Kagura, of course!), and was called 'Little Devil Space Pirate'. At this, she took a huge spoonful of the parfait and felt her body shiver a bit at the tangy taste of the fruit.

Ah, this was heaven—

"Oi, China, what are you grinning at?" even over the headphones, she knew that familiar tone when she heard it, but Kagura was in no mood to deal with him, so she turned up the volume and let herself drown to the catchy background music.

* * *

It was strange to see her again after three weeks of not showing up at her usual hangout at the park where she brought her huge pet. As much as it pained him to admit it, he _slightly_ missed her.

In all honestly, he _slightly_ felt bad at the fact that he had kicked her three weeks ago, for he had heard through gossip that his action had made her cry.

He actually wondered how a monster like her had suddenly become so weak that his sissy kick had made her cry. He didn't even give it his all, yet she cried over it?

There must be something wrong with this girl, he decided.

And what luck, she was in the restaurant where she and the Yorozuya trio frequented in, albeit alone. At least it saved him the hassle of looking everything.

… Not that he actually tried doing such for the past three weeks. More like look out for her, just in case she happened to pass by.

China, unfortunately, was being difficult, for she was too engrossed in whatever handheld console that was in her hands. Add to that, the music was turned up, and he could hear the background music blasting through her headphones. As being a sadist was in his nature, he grabbed hold of the right side of the headphones and snapped it hard against the back of her head, nearly destroying the electronic device.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she screeched at him, ignoring the looks of the other customers.

"China, keep it up. The whole of Edo didn't hear you." He said sarcastically.

She rolled her azure blue eyes in reply and sat down once more, placing the right headphone back on her ear and kept on playing her QSP as if nothing had happened.

"Oi, China."

She raised her left middle finger at him and kept pressing the buttons on the right side of the handheld.

"China." He called once again.

This continued for five minutes more until finally, Kagura had enough. Calmly, she slipped the headphones and let it hang over her shoulders and neck and looked at the sadist with a poker expression that Sougo wondered if she was feeling alright. "What do you want?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to bug you."

She was nearly ready to throw a chair at him when she remembered that she shouldn't even bother with him. Sighing once more in response, the female Yato left some bills on the table, took the QSP and started exiting the restaurant. The captain of the first division of the Shinsengumi followed suit, much to her frustration. "Stop stalking me." She growled at him.

"Who says I'm following you? I'm heading off to headquarters."

"Are you an idiot? Tax robbers' compound is on the opposite direction."

"Doesn't mean I'm heading there right away." He smirked.

"You're so annoying." _And you're ruining my virtual date._

Okita annoyed her further by following her to the place where she had wanted to be least disturbed, which was the park. There, she had put on the volume at full blast, placed her headphones against her ears and continued from where she had left off…

… Until Sougo snatched the QSP from her hands.

"What the heck are you playing, China?" he deadpanned, staring at the QSP screen as he held it up in the air, out of her reach. "Oh my, is this an _otome_ game? _Danna _actually allowed you to play these games?" he mocked a gasp, eyes glinting with sadistic intentions.

She said nothing, too angry and frustrated at the recent turn of events.

Why was sadist ruining everything…?

"How pathetic, China. Can't get a boy to date you so you went for some virtual guy?"

"What's it to you? You don't have anything to do with this. Leave me alone already." Goodness, did she just beg for him to leave her alone?

Fortunately, he failed to notice the plea in her tone. She didn't want him to think she was at his mercy. "Nothing, really. I get to see you become pathetic, and I find it amusing."

Before she could even process what he said, her hands automatically grabbed the nearby wooden park bench and bashed it at the sadist, who had gotten a direct hit, for he wasn't paying attention. Up went her QSP, and she made a jump for it, successfully catching it in the process.

"No one gets in my way of gaming, not even you, you stupid sadist!" she kicked his right leg, which was the only part of him that had been exposed, since he was under the wooden rubble of the remains of the park bench. "Now leave me alone!"

And with that, she marched back to the Yorozuya, six in the evening curfew be damned.

Can't a girl play her games in peace?

* * *

He didn't really understand what the fuss was all about.

Back in the Shinsengumi compound with bandages all over his face that eerily reminded him of Hijikata after the battle with the Yagyuu clan, Okita Sougo wondered what the hell was in that QSP of hers that made her engrossed with it.

It was just a dumb old game, right?

But he couldn't erase the image of China grinning so widely at her QSP. What had her grinning over it anyway? It was such a rare moment that the image was stuck in his mind, and for some reason, the image of her grinning made his face a bit warmer than usual.

She never showed that side of hers publicly, nor would she ever dare show such to him. Heck, she was frowning and scowling whenever he appeared, and in hindsight, he was _slightly_ disappointed with her reaction towards him every time. Apparently, only he was the sole recipient of that expression, which _slightly_ irritated him.

He blinked at the thought.

Since when did he care so much about China's opinion about him?

Okita shook his head slightly, amused at how his train of thought could force him to overthink about a very simple situation that involved China and her obsession with the QSP.

At the back of his mind, however, he really was itching to destroy that thing that always held her attention.

* * *

_Renai Uchuu Kaizoku 2: Galaxy Lesson! _– Parody title of an existing otome game wherein you date one of the six guys available for a year, who then teaches you about love and what-not. XD

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It was slightly longer than my supposed 1k = 1 chapter, but I was in the mood to write today.

Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama. It belongs to Hideaki Sorachi. I only own the plot, the ideas and the gag in this fanfiction.

* * *

Of Addiction and Neglect

* * *

_Chapter 3_

* * *

It sucks being sick.

It was seven in the evening, and it had been another month since she had started playing the sequel to the Space Pirates otome game. As much as Kagura had gone through it to check if she had missed anything, she wouldn't dare touch the Do-S Space Pirate's route. Not only did she know that she would just end up rage quitting over it, but she might throw her QSP in anger over some virtual character.

But probably someday, she'll play that route.

_Someday_.

Someday would be when she was able to play the Do-S route without feeling so much rage. And someday would also mean when she would get her QSP back.

Right now, her handheld has been held hostage by _anego_. For the past four weeks, she hardly slept, for her gaming addiction had taken over her with a vengeance. When Gin-chan had noticed that she was walking around the office like a zombie, complete with the look (she now looked like a raccoon, her hair was a total mess, her clothes had food stains in it and she walked in slow motion because of fatigue), he had forbade her from playing. When she protested and hurled him across town, it had been Shinpachi who intervene. Just her luck, _anego_ came along with him, and had personally confiscated her gadget.

As much as she wanted to rage over what they did, she couldn't, for she fell violently ill at that instant.

Or rather, fainted from the lack of sleep.

The Yato didn't really get sick, but they suffered from fatigue like humans. In her case, the fatigue was very severe, since she had really neglected herself. She estimated her recovery time to be three days tops, and now that she thought about it…

A sudden knock, on the door, and as quickly as she could manage without vomiting on the floor, she opened it…

… Only to find a certain sandy-haired Shinsengumi captain looking at her smugly.

She slide the door shut at his face, accidentally hitting the tip of his nose. He yelped from the pain and slid the door open once more. "What the hell is your problem, China?"

"You've no business here, sadist. Gin-chan isn't around!" she said angrily, irritated at the fact that he dared to show his face to her after what he did.

Truthfully, she still hasn't recovered from his cruel remarks.

"Sorry China, but _danna_ asked me to drop by and give you your stuff—"

"Liar!" she interrupted him, temper flaring at an alarming rate. The sight of him made her sick, for Kagura felt dizzy all of a sudden. "Stop tormenting me already, will you?"

"Now, now, China, you're trampling on my feelings. I'm just—" again, he was interrupted by her.

"I already told you to get out." She glared at him as best as she could, but Okita didn't take her seriously. How could he, when she looked like a zombie?

"No." and with that, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to the couch, where she landed face first with a yelp. Before she could even recover from what had happened, Sougo had rushed forward and pinned her arms and legs effectively with his own.

"Get off me!" she demanded.

"You listen here, brat. My precious day off just had to be interrupted because your dear _Gin-chan_ requested me to keep you in line for today." He said in a tone that Kagura wasn't used to, and it was obvious that he was trying to keep his temper in check. "Now be a good girl and obey your _Gin-chan_'s orders before I break all of your bones so you'd be unable to move."

She cringed at the memory of the battle in the Yagyuu clan's compound. "Fine, but I'm doing this for him, not you!"

"Who gives a fuck." He said it so casually that she wondered what had made him ticked off.

"Why are you angry? I should be the one who's angry!" she remarked.

"Huh, the brat is curious. I wonder why…?" He mocked.

Kagura gritted her teeth at him. "I've had it with you!" she exploded. Right now, it felt like something inside her snapped. The female Yato was unstoppable in her wrath, and if her limbs had been free, she would've made sure the young man on top of her would be unable to walk for the rest of his life. "What the hell is your problem, huh? I've done nothing to you, yet you keep on pissing me off!"

"… And?"

"Leave me alone already!" somehow, she could feel her eyes sting. Ugh, why was she having the urge to cry…?

"I can't."

Did she hear him right? "W-what…?"

"I can't leave you alone." He said it so seriously that she wondered what he was playing now. Any minute now, she expected him to mock her for taking him seriously, but after several seconds had passed, Sougo was staring back at her. "I can't leave you alone, China."

"And why can't you?"

"I…" did his voice just quiver…? "Ah, hell."

Before her thought process clicked in, he closed his eyes, leaned forward and covered her mouth with his own. Panicking, she tried to resist him, and even wanted to overpower and slap him, but he grabbed her wrists as soon as he felt her moving them. Sougo prodded her to open her mouth with his tongue as he used his strength to pin her wrists above her head, deepening the kiss in the process. Shocked and confused, inexperienced Kagura ended up becoming submissive to his whims as she shyly allowed him to gain access. Before she knew it, he broke the kiss. Red blood eyes flapped over and were staring back at her, all the while letting his free hand roam all over her body, touching her breasts through her clothes, then lower and lower until…

"S-stop." She said it so quietly that she had to repeat it the second time. "S-sadist, stop…"

To her surprise, he did stop.

"If that was your idea of a joke—"

"That wasn't a joke." He mumbled under his breath.

"W-what?" she couldn't believe it. Sadist _actually_ had a good side?

"I said it wasn't a joke." He repeated. "You should know better than that, China. Didn't those _otome_ games teach you _anything _about romance and shit?"

_Nearly everything except how to deal with a sadist_, she thought. Out loud, she said, "… I haven't even finished my game yet."

He shrugged. "Too bad for you." He quickly stood up. "Here's the medicine _danna _wants you to drink." Sougo placed the small bag on the table in front of the couch and began walking to the doorway.

"See you around, China."

As soon as she heard the sliding door closed softly, Kagura blinked.

And blinked again.

_What the hell just happened…?_

* * *

As soon as he had shut the door, Okita leaned against it and felt himself slide down and sit on the floor.

For some reason, his mind wanted to contemplate just right outside the Yorozuya entrance and had rendered his legs useless for the meantime.

Just now, he…

Well, whatever that was, it shocked him to the core. Him, a sadist, had suddenly turned into an ero-sadist. How was that even possible? He preferred inflicting pain unto others, not dominate them.

… Well, just a part of him _did_ want to dominate China in many, many ways, but still…

All he had to do was deliver the medicine that Sakata Gintoki gave him since he had been in a hurry to head over to god-knows-where-the-hell-it-was, yet something else happened. It was surprising, but not unpleasant. After all, it was a spur-of-the-moment kind of thing, and that was the farthest thing from his mind. He was too preoccupied with thinking up of ways to force China to either stay in bed or force her to drink the medicine, as per the permed samurai's suggestion, but this?

Making out in the couch was not part of his plan _at all_.

But then again, Okita Sougo realized that for the past few nights, his dreams had been not-so-innocent, and he ended up soaking both his _yukata_ and the futon. The only thing that prevented the Shinsengumi members from asking their captain as to why he did the laundry every single day recently was the fact that he was able to whip out a bazooka in record time and obliterate them on the spot.

He shook his head to shake the thoughts away, but deep inside him, he knew that the moment was forever stuck with him.

_Looks like I'll be doing the laundry again tomorrow morning._

* * *

Apologies if this chapter isn't at par with the first two. I'm really sleepy right now, and I just wanted to upload this since I owe you all an update. ^^;;

** Tsukuyo-Ka:** Most of the otome games I've played are quite addicting. I'm playing one right now where Suzumura Kenichi (Okita Sougo's Japanese VA) voices the guy I'm currently dating. XD;

Also, to those who want to contact me, I'm sorry, but I cannot share my personal information like my mobile number and the like (one reviewer in my other story was asking for my number). Email me instead at this address: aeneid (period) **fanfiction [it's one word] *at* ** gmail ***dotcom*** . Whether it's a comment/suggestion/new fic idea/just need an email friend, drop me a line.

Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama. It belongs to Hideaki Sorachi. I only own the plot, the ideas and the gag in this fanfiction.

* * *

Of Addiction and Neglect

* * *

_Chapter 4_

* * *

Kagura hasn't touched her QSP in a while.

The urge to play was still there (she had been busy playing games, minus the punishing and brutal gaming hours she had practiced), but whenever she would reach for the game console, that stupid sadist's words would haunt her.

_"I said it wasn't a joke." He repeated. "You should know better than that, China. Didn't those_otome _games teach you__anything__about romance and shit?"_

For once, he did something that wasn't a joke.

Second, he was right. Despite the fact that she had finished one _otome_ game, she learned nothing, except that guys had their own quirks and one had to adjust to his whims, never the other way around.

Now that she thought about it, it was quite… pathetic and sad.

As much as she hated to admit it, the sadist had been, to some extent, correct in calling her 'pathetic'.

How does one become knowledgeable in romance anyway? All she had was a QSP to teach her, especially since Gin-chan traumatized her with vivid tales about what went on between a male and a female, and the fact that he didn't want her to date anyone made it difficult. He was like a father through and through, and any male who leered at her got hit immediately by Lake Touya.

The only male who had an effect on her, to her utter frustration and embarrassment, was _him_.

"ARRRRRRRRGH!" she screamed, punching the wall beside her, which, thankfully, didn't crack. Her strength training had been for naught if the wall had shattered. "I hate you so much!"

"Kagura, keep it down." Gintoki said absent-mindedly while flipping through his latest Weekly JUMP magazine. "It's a peaceful morning. Which reminds me, why are you up so early anyway?"

"N-none of your business, Gin-chan!" she said, flopping back to the couch that was opposite of where he was lying on. He didn't have to know that she hadn't been sleeping properly ever since that couch incident happened. Whenever she closed her eyes, she remembered the way sadist leaned over and started kissing her and—

To her mortification, her face started turning a bright red and she started screaming, eyes closed. "No, no, no!"

"Kagura, for the love of… are you pissed because you picked out the wrong answer in that reverse harem game of yours?" Gintoki, in his father mode, asked the young girl who had suddenly sat up and started punching the couch she was sitting on.

"I haven't even touched my QSP today!"

"Then go somewhere else, geez. You're so noisy…" he gave out a big yawn. "Go out and play. The sun is shining brightly, and it probably won't hurt you too much."

"Fine, I'll go out and play by picking a random guy on the street and—" before she could even finish her sentence, Gintoki was up on his feet.

"Come on, let's have breakfast!" he placed down the magazine and headed off to the toilet. "Give daddy ten minutes and he'll be ready!"

She smirked inwardly.

* * *

It had been six days, fifteen minutes and four seconds since he last saw her.

'_I sound like a stalker.'_

It had been that long since he saw China, but it didn't really matter. In fact, he took great lengths in avoiding her ever since the incident in the office of Yorozuya occurred, but it did not lessen the morning laundry time. In fact, his dreams became more vivid that the idea of an unattainable China irritated and frustrated him further. If it wasn't her dear _Gin-chan_ standing in his way, it was now a QSP, videogames and males that do not exist in the 3D plane.

Why the hell was she obsessed with 2D guys anyway?

Were the men in Edo not enough for her?

Was _he_ not enough for her?

Moreover, why were women so damn complicated?

Pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, he got himself dressed in his usual Shinsengumi uniform, which took him half an hour to dressed, as he really wasn't in the mood to get to work. His shift was changed to eleven until eight in the evening, which was fine with him, considering that he would just spend the whole day taking a nap whenever the urge to sleep would get to him. Slipping on his leather shoes, he was just about to start his patrol when Kondo and Hijikata approached him. "Kondo-san, Hijikata-san."

"Sougo, before going off to patrol, how about lunch?" the commander asked, grinning at him, and he replied with a shrug. "Great! Let's get going before the lunch crowd gets our table."

Well, he didn't really care if they got available tables or not, but he wanted to eat, and if Kondo-san treated him out to lunch, why the hell not?

The three of them made their way to the Battle Royale Host Restaurant, and as soon as the server led them to their table, Sougo noticed that the booth beside theirs sat the Yorozuya _danna_ and… China.

Immediately, his heart began pounding madly against his chest at the sight of her.

"Kagura, geez, stop playing that game and eat!" an exasperated wavy-haired samurai kept hitting the young woman on the head, who was too engrossed in her gameplay. "We're out here to eat, not to watch you giggle and grin like an idiot!"

He fought the urge not to laugh at the spot-on observation.

She swatted his hand away. "Gin-chan, gimme a minute! I just need to clear this damn month so I can get to the next one!"

"Yeah, right. You can't even make that damn guy happy 'cause you don't know the proper response." At China's shocked expression, the _danna_ shrugged. "I've watched you play at times. You know how to respond to every question they ask, yet you suck so much when you play the route of that Do-S whatever-the-hell-he-is."

"That's 'cause I don't have any idea what he frickin' wants!" at this, she slammed a hand against the table, which surprisingly didn't crumble against the impact. "That stupid bastard calls me his 'manservant'! You think I'd take that lying down!"

Gintoki slammed his hand against his forehead. "Okay, let's not talk about these things in public… I'm losing my appetite." At this, the female Yato turned off her QSP and shoved it at the corner of the table. "Now eat."

At this, she took her chopsticks and began digging in.

"What's so interesting in the Yorozuya table?" Hijikata's voice had snapped him back to reality, and he immediately donned his poker-faced expression.

"Nothing really." Sougo replied in his trademark bored tone. "I just find China pathetic right now for playing QSP _otome_ games."

Kondo tsked. "Now, now, Sougo, it's as if you didn't play something similar. Love Choriss [1], remember?" the commander said, prompting him to remember that he had indeed played it, though ended up regretting it because he, well, got publicly humiliated.

"… Fine, but I find her pathetic nonetheless."

At this, Hijikata sighed and called for a server. "Don't bother, Kondo-san. He'll just deny everything to death when it comes to China."

Sougo knew that the vice-commander was trying to get him to talk and deny everything, but he kept his silence, knowing that anything that he might say can and will be used against him.

How ironic this whole thing was, for he was a policeman, and he should be the one saying it to the criminals.

Hijikata seriously deserved to die.

Just as soon as their food got served, the Yorozuya duo was done with theirs, and somehow, the silver-haired samurai had noticed them. "Ah, it's the tax robbers. Yo, Sofa-kun, Gorilla, Oogushi-kun." He waved a hand at all of them. "Kagura, be polite and greet them."

"It's Sougo." He said automatically in between bites, trying hard not to look up at the girl who sat diagonally across from him.

"… Hi." She mumbled, her azure eyes shyly aimed at the sadist, who was currently eating his brunch and wasn't looking up. Curiously, Kagura was blushing a bright red, but quickly pressed a glass of cold water against her cheek. "Gin-chan, can I get another game?" she asked, changing the subject.

Gintoki sighed. "You just got one last week! And," he then dropped his voice that Sougo struggled to hear what he was saying. "wasn't that the one wherein they spoofed the tax robbers in that game?"

There was a game about them? He made a mental note to research on that.

Also, what the hell was that company thinking, making a fool out of them?

_Need to find the company office and blow it to bits._

"Ah yeah, Pakuouki [2]." Gin-chan had one of those rare moments wherein he had become generous and decided to get his 'daughter' something nice, which ended up becoming another _otome_ game. All in all, she now had three in total, and the recent one that he had gotten her was an unauthorized Shinsengumi _otome_ game. He had meant to sit beside her as she played the game and laugh at the stupidity of it.

He ended up doing just that, minus the making fun part. At times, Gin-chan would roll his eyes at the stupidity of the heroine but nevertheless watched Kagura play it if he wasn't busying reading his JUMP comics. "It was… okay. But it was just… ugh. I felt really down after playing the routes… I wanna play something fun!" the vermillion-haired girl whined, which Sougo found, to his horror, adorable.

Since when did she become adorable?

The very thought of the female Yato becoming 'adorable' was strangely not as disgusting as he first thought.

"Finish your games first." He said. Gintoki was referring to the fact that she hasn't finished both her games because Kagura didn't want to date the Do-S whatever-the-hell-he-is and didn't bother playing Pakuouki because the sadist's counterpart was the top-ranked guy there.

"No!" she screamed it so loudly and so quickly that most of the patrons in the restaurant, the Shinsengumi included, looked at her oddly. The female Yato ignored them and looked back at her father figure. "I'm not gonna play it."

"Suit yourself." And with that, he shrugged. "Let's get going." A handful of bills were placed on the table and he stood up, walking out of the restaurant.

"Gin-chan, wait! You promised to get me sukonbu!" she jogged towards him until she was beside the samurai and grabbed his arm. "Come on, come on!"

"Geez, stop pulling my arm, Kagura. It might fall off." He said before he disappeared out of his line of sight.

At once, he went over to their table and grabbed the QSP that China had left behind. Kondo was curious as to why Sougo had grabbed the item and was about to ask when Hijikata voiced it out for him.

"Now, now, Sougo, you know that stealing is wrong." Hijikata commented, looking at the gaming console in his hands. "Better give that back to its owner."

"I'll return it later." He said nonchalantly.

_For a price._

To be able to torture China again was his idea of a perfect day.

* * *

[1] Love Choriss – Obvious parody of a popular dating game. It's an arc in the Gintama series.

[2] Pakuouki – Obvious parody of the popular otome game that got localized recently to English. By the way, 'pakupaku' in Japanese is the onomatopoeia of the flapping open and close of the mouth, which did happen in the PS3 version of the game. I would've gone for Bakuouki since the word 'baku' means 'exclamation' or 'burst of laughter'. In the game, the localization team seriously got fond of the word 'bark' for just everything. 'Bark of laughter' et al, plus the gun used in the game 'barked' as well.

I'm so sorry for the late update. I have been very busy lately with real life, not to mention that I've been tired lately, so I sleep really early. I've also been preparing for a local event in my country, which will be by the end of September, so I've been doing more research than writing. So sorry, everyone. Hopefully, I'll be finished with all my Gintama fics before we hit the third week of August until the whole of September, since I may not be able to commit myself to writing a chapter.

それに、フィリピン人の皆様も９月末イベント会いたい～

Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

_Of Addiction and Neglect_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Kagura was so, so screwed.

_Great. My QSP is nowhere to be found._

It has been a week since her QSP had mysteriously disappeared to god-knows-where. Despite the fact that she had been very much thorough with her search, it was all in vain. No amount of searching was enough for her to be able to retrieve the device, and as much as she wanted to tell Gin-chan about this problem of hers, Kagura didn't have the heart to tell him that the QSP he bought her was nowhere to be found.

_He might even ask me to pay him back!_

Slightly depressed at the fact that she had no more chance at finishing the Space Pirates game that she had been holding off because of a sadistic character, she let out a deep sigh, wondering if Gin-chan would force her to live on the streets because she had been careless. Scared at the thought, she began making plans to contact _anego_ to crash into her place in case Gin-chan _did_ kick her out.

"ARGH! This is so frustrating!" at this, she kicked a nearby tree trunk and immediately, it fell to the ground with a thump, the trunk breaking in half from the force of her kick. "Where is my QSP?!" she hissed to herself, desperately wanting to report this lost item case to the tax robbers [1] just so she could be assured. What held her back often was the fact that the sadist would handle her case, and he wouldn't take her seriously.

Not to mention that at the back of her mind, she had this inkling that he would actually have the nerve to destroy it in front of her after finding it for her… and she didn't want that.

Her QSP was important to her because it was Gin-chan who gave it to her, and it had been so long since someone gave her a present. Sure, he provided her a home, food and clothing, but it had been the first time he listened to her whims and got her what she wanted.

Now that she thought about it, Gin-chan was an awesome dad. But that also meant he was a scary father figure, one whom she shouldn't piss off.

She sighed, nearly reduced to tears, hating the now-emerging feminine side of hers that was making her emotional over just about _anything_. "Damn it, damn it, damn it…!"

"Oh, China-san, hi. Haven't seen you around." As she turned around to see who it was, the commander of the Shinsengumi was standing a few feet behind her, a huge smile on his face.

"Ah, Gori-san." She had been past the whole 'Gorilla' thing (unless he was annoying the hell out of her) and referred to him as 'Gori-san' just to be a bit more respectful to the guy whom _anego_ started dating just a few months ago. She had finally agreed to date him, provided that he didn't stalker her anymore, or do scary and weird things to her. This, however, was a secret known only among the couple and Kagura. He proved true to his word, much to their surprise. "Hi." She mumbled.

"You okay? You seem so down." He walked over to where she was and concern was written all over his face.

She shook her head. "Hey, Gori, you know anyone who wants to date me?" if she couldn't have her QSP back, then she might as well date Earthlings behind Gin-chan's back. "You know, for… practice."

Kondo Isao blinked. "Uhhh, d-did you get clearance from the Yorozuya _danna_?" when she shook her head no, he scratched the back of his head. "W-well, there may be some prospects around but—"

"But?" she echoed.

"W-well, I dunno…"

"Oh, come on, Gorilla! Help me out! Someone stole me QSP, I don't have a virtual guy to date, and the next best thing is to date the real thing!" she whined.

He didn't have the heart to tell her that Sougo had been the one who took her QSP and was taking his sweet time to give it back. "Obviously, I can't date you."

She rolled her eyes. "As if I wanna date you." Kagura shot back. "Besides, I don't want to incur the wrath of _anego_."

He grinned widely at the thought of a jealous Otae. "Well, I think I can help out… and no, it doesn't involve dating. More like a… crash course on what to expect?"

"I can live with that." Kagura nodded. "Show me the ropes."

"Sure!"

* * *

Okita Sougo's eyes nearly bulged out of its sockets when he saw China walking around downtown Edo with Kondo-san, albeit way too close than what was appropriate. The pair, it seemed, were going around the shops and, thankfully, not hand in hand. They were physically close, and for some reason, it irritated him so much. He did respect Kondo-san, but him going after China…

Well, that was another thing altogether.

For now, he would observe them from afar.

"Ah, Gori, you sure this is how it's done? The QSP games I've been playing made the dates so interesting." She said in a bored tone.

'_What the hell… they're dating?!'_

The commander of the Shinsengumi scratched the back of his head. "Well, this is how it's usually done—"

"I'm bored." She popped a candy in her mouth, which surprised him greatly because it wasn't her usual sukonbu. "Let's do something interesting and awesome."

Kondo Isao suddenly bent down to whisper something to her ear, and to Sougo's surprise, China had turned redder than the dress she wore. Immediately, she slapped the commander on the arm. "Idiot gorilla, what the hell are you saying?!"

"It's the truth—"

"No it's not!" she gave him a swift kick on the shin. "Knew I shouldn't have wasted my time on you."

'_Obviously, China.'_ He snorted inwardly as he watched her walk away from the Shinsengumi commander, who was now howling in pain from the kick. _'It's Kondo-san. Why would he go out with you anyway?'_

It was known that Kondo Isao only had eyes for Shimura Otae, but what possessed him to date the female Yato anyway? Nearly everyone on the police force was wary of her because of her strength, the commander included, and that was one reason why he addressed her with respect, despite her being younger than him.

He watched her walked a few meters before stopping in front of another male. "Ah, _jimi_ 'zaki. Go on a date with me." He heard her say to the newly-arrived Shinsengumi spy.

"W-w-w-w-what!" came the startled cry.

"Come on, come on, I don't have all day." She said, easily pulling Yamazaki Sagaru by the wrist.

"B-b-b-but I'm busy!" if his senses were correct, Captain Okita was somewhere around the vicinity, and if he was seen with China… well, it wouldn't be pretty. Little did he know that his intuition was spot-on right now, and that the sadistic captain was already planning his demise, down to the funeral.

"Busy doing what?" she asked curiously.

"L-looking for Okita-san, of course!" he seriously didn't want to be seen with her, and so, Yamazaki used just about _anything_ to get away from her. "And I'm late!"

China shrugged and released her hold on Yamazaki. "Oh well. Have fun." She popped yet another candy in her mouth, and before she could take another step, she turned around. "Ah, wait."

"Y-y-yes?" Yamazaki tried his best not to tremble in fear.

Sougo struggled to hear the next part, but unfortunately for him, Kagura had decided to whisper her request to Yamazaki, who then kept nodding. "I'll keep you updated then, China-san. I'll just drop by the Yorozuya if something comes up."

She nodded at him. "Go look for me, not Shinpachi or Gin-chan, okay?" at his nod, she then pointed at something behind his back. "Oh yeah, Gorilla is still moaning in pain over there… better help him. I gotta go." And with that, the female member of the Yorozuya ran off, her trademark purple umbrella resting on her right shoulder as she blocked the rays of the morning sun.

As Yamazaki walked over to where the commander was, Sougo decided to make his appearance. " 'zaki, you're late." He intoned.

"Ah, Okita-san. Sorry, there was a citizen who had asked for my help regarding a lost item." It was half the truth anyway; besides, who in his right mind would give himself away?

"Regarding what?"

"The citizen had lost a gaming console last week at the restaurant near here and—" as soon as he mentioned the word 'gaming console', the sadist suddenly sported an evil smirk on his face. "U-ummm… are you alright, Okita-san…?"

"Tell China that I have her QSP. And if she wants it back, she and I can discuss it over tea at my place tomorrow."

Before Yamazaki could ask how he had known such information, Okita Sougo had already walked off towards the direction of his apartment, not in the mood to patrol anymore. Only a few knew of this apartment of his, mainly the commander, the vice-commander and Yamazaki, just in case he wasn't in the compound when the need arises. He only went to his pad when he didn't want to be disturbed, and he needed to think of what to do when China arrives at his place tomorrow.

No doubt she would demand the QSP back, but he had other plans.

Tomorrow was going to be his perfect day.

* * *

[1] desperately wanting to report this lost item case to the tax robbers - I am not sure if the Shinsengumi functioned as a normal police wherein they also help citizens find their lost items, but for the sake of this fic, I decided that they would have this function as well.

Sorry for the lack of update for this fic. I've been extremely busy. September is drawing near, and I'm preparing for a certain event.

Anyone in my country who wants to have a meet-up...? That is, if only you guys want one... XD;;

Thanks for reading! Please do review!


	6. Chapter 6

Hi everyone! So sorry for the long wait. I'm finally back!

I was totally busy last week because of preparations for my country's biggest cosplay event, which is Cosplay Mania. If you did attend Sunday's event (Day 2), and you saw a Kagura cosplayer wearing the red yukata/kimono with a huge-ass _obi _from the Yoshiwara in Flames Arc, chances are, you've spotted me. :)

Anyway, without further ado, here's chapter 6. As usual, adult situations. Please be warned.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama. It belongs to Hideaki Sorachi. I only own the plot, the ideas and the gag in this fanfiction.

* * *

**Of Addiction and Neglect**

* * *

_Chapter 6_

* * *

The _jimi_ of the Shinsengumi had dropped by late afternoon yesterday at the Yorozuya Gin-chan and handed her a letter.

"What's this?" she asked him, studying the piece of paper in her hands.

"Yes, well… someone has found your QSP. Unfortunately, that person is unable to commit a schedule to return it to you. If you'd like, you can drop by that person's place tomorrow." Yamazaki said, trying his best not to let it slip that it was the first division captain who had found her lost item. He knew that if China knew that it had been the person she hated who had found her QSP, all hell would break lose. For now, all he could do was stall it. "Here's the address and the map, if you're interested…"

At once, Kagura snatched it from his hand and checked the contents. The address of the person who had found her QSP was a bit too far from the Yorozuya, but at least it wasn't a dangerous area.

"I'll just drop by then." she commented to Yamazaki, who was trying hard to don a poker face. "Guess there are still some good people in Edo after all. Imagine that, my QSP will be returned to me tomorrow. If it had been someone else, they probably sold it back in Akihabara for extra cash."

While Yamazaki wanted to tell her that he actually feared for her safety, all he could do was nod. In hindsight, he remembered that China was strong enough to be at par with Okita Sougo, and was the only female who dared to punch his face.

_I hope I don't regret this!_ "Y-yes, I suppose so, China-san." He said, forcing a grin on his face.

* * *

Tomorrow came, and before she knew it, Kagura found herself in a suburban district filled with two-story buildings. She hadn't been here much, but she knew that the district was peaceful because families lived there, as well as young adults starting out on their own. There was hardly any crime in the area because it was close to the tax robbers' compound, and they were a phone call away.

Grinning to herself, she pranced up the stairs of the apartment she was to visit. Because it was a social visit to a stranger, she had armed herself by wearing her trademark red _qipao_, black pants and shoes. Instead of her hair covered in those circular hair ornaments, she let it flow down her shoulders, reaching the middle of her back.

She really couldn't wait to get her QSP back.

Knocking on the door, the grin she had practiced for her 'savior' was now plastered on her face.

As soon as the door opened and the identity of the kind citizen was revealed, her grin faltered and turned into shock.

"Y-you…!"

The person standing by the doorway smirked at her. "You're finally here."

The female Yato kept looking back and forth at the piece of paper in her hands with so much disbelief in her face that Okita Sougo tried hard not to smirk so much. "Yeah, I do think I got the wrong address—"

Before she could even set a foot away from his doorstep, he dangled a familiar-looking QSP right in front of her. "Hey, that's my QSP!" she said, jumping up to try and snatch it from his grasp but failed to do so. Sougo had held it higher, way out of her reach, smirking as she tried in vain to jump up and snatch it from him. "Give it back!"

"Not giving it back unless—"

"That's extortion, sadist." She interrupted angrily, glaring at him. "All I want is my gadget back 'cause that cost a bomb, and Gin-chan will want to check up on me to make sure I didn't lose or break it."

"You forget that I'm a sadist. People bend to my whims, not the other way around." He stated. "If you want it back, you'll have to play by my rules."

At this point, Kagura was really steaming. All along, she thought it had been a kind stranger who had found her QSP, but ended up face-to-face with a god-awful demon who seriously deserved some sort of heavenly punishment for whatever it was that he was planning. She knew that it wouldn't be pretty if it involved him.

"Fine, I'll play." She said, azure-colored irises glaring at his brooding blood-red orbs.

Immediately, he had perked up.

"… Get in. We'll have tea first."

_She fell for it._

* * *

His place was, to Kagura's surprise, clean.

She would've expected it to look like Gin-chan's, messy, disorganized and looking like a pig sty. If it were not for Shinpachi's daily cleaning of his place, it would've been a disaster. She shuddered just thinking about it, and was thankful for the Yorozuya _jimi_'s intervention. The sadist's place, on the other hand, was organized, clean, and totally minimalist. She could tell that he lived in one of those one bedroom places like Gin-chan, for there was a _shoji_ that separated his living room and that place. The living room consisted of a television, a low table that also served as his dining table and some pillows. The kitchen was also in the living room, and that was where he was right now, making tea. Kagura content herself with sitting behind the low table, staring at the woodwork. She really felt uncomfortable right now, being in a place where she and a person from the opposite sex were alone. It wasn't the same as her feeling whenever it came to Gin-chan and Shinpachi, because this time around, her heart was racing, for some reason.

Was she… excited? Nervous?

She really didn't know.

A porcelain cup slid across from her, and she looked up to see sadist looking at her. "What are you staring at?"

"… The table."

He snorted. "Obviously. Where else would you stare at?"

"Not my fault if your place is boring." She said it in a deadpan tone that could rival his own.

"A kid's tastes will never understand minimalism."

"Yeah, whatever, I don't care. Now tell me what the hell you want me to do so I can have my QSP back." She said.

"You're shivering. Drink your tea first."

She shook her head. "I'm fine." She was wary of the tea. What if he was out to poison her?

"Okay. My condition is that you date me."

What the flying fuck—

She slammed her hands against the table. "What's _that_ gotta do with my QSP?!"

"Seems like you're stuck in that space pirates idiocy that I took the liberty of playing that pathetic excuse for a sadist—"

"Hey! I was supposed to finish that, not you!" not only did he violate her personal rule of 'no one but herself plays the game from start to end', but that asshole just had to browse through her QSP and snoop around. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"—and I think that _you_ need to be educated on how to deal with a sadist." He continued as if nothing had happened.

"No, I won't date you. One, I'm not allowed to, and number two, you've just topped the list of the people I hate." She shot back. "You know what? Forget it. I'll just tell Gin-chan that I've lost the QSP so I won't have to deal with you."

Just when she was about to stand up from the _tatami_, he was at her side immediately, both of his hands placed on her shoulders. Before she could even tell him to fuck off, he bent down to give her a quick peck on the lips. Inhaling and exhaling deeply after he had pulled back, he mumbled a hasty apology before leaning forward to kiss her again.

As soon as he had pressed his lips against hers, Kagura's mind immediately went blank.

All thoughts of her wanting to do bodily harm against the sadist were thrown out of the window, and all she could do was to stay still and close her eyes. Her heartbeat went erratic, and her mind became all fuzzy. The only thing she felt was his lips on her own, and the gentleness of his action. It was so unlike of him to not dominate anyone, or anything for that matter, and it surprised her. Surprisingly, even if her mind registered that it was the sadist who was kissing her, she made no move to push him away. In fact, her hands, as soon as it pressed against the _tomoeri_ of his _uwagi_, she felt him pull away.

'_No!'_ was the first thing her mind shouted as soon as she felt his lips parting away from her own. Immediately, she grabbed the _tomoeri_ and pulled him towards her, her lips eager and unresisting. Okita, on the other hand, placed a hand on her nape to tilt her head and await yet another kiss…

… until someone knocked on the door.

"Okita-san, are you there?"

Sougo scowled at the interruption, but made no move to get up and answer the door. Instead, he pushed Kagura towards the _tatami_ and hovered over her, his eyes gleaming with lust. This had been the exact situation he was looking for ever since she had accepted his invitation to have tea at his place, and he was going to take advantage every minute of it. There was no way he would let this pass, not when she herself was staring at him with lust in her azure-colored orbs.

Slowly, he began undressing her, her _qipao_ unbuttoned at the right side of her chest, followed by the lowering of her pants. His desire fueled even further as soon as he saw her clad in her undergarments, and immediately, he began removing his own.

He noticed her eyes widen at the sight of him _naked_, but he knew that to gain her trust, he would have to be the one to make… sacrifices.

Funny, he was the sadist, yet here he was, catering to her whims.

Patience wasn't his strongest point, but for the first time in his life, he would have to practice it.

All for the one thing he couldn't easily have, he was willing to turn into the submissive role just this _once_.

"_Kagura."_

* * *

She woke up pretty close to around nine in the evening.

Disoriented, groggy and still sleepy, she stifled a yawn with her right hand, only to find out that her right hand wouldn't move. Slowly, she tugged it a bit, only to feel something move on her 'paralyzed side'. Kagura turned, and nearly screamed in shock.

On her right laid Okita Sougo, his right arm draped over her torso, forearm curling around her waist. His warm breath fanned against her shoulder, and was sleeping soundly, judging by the way his chest rose and fell. It took all of her willpower not to scream at the sight of him snuggling against her, and just when she was about to move away from him, she felt something poke against her hip.

_Oh no…_

Oh no.

OH HELL NO.

See, this was the thing that both _anego_ and Gin-chan warned her about.

And idiotic, stupid her just had to go against what they had told her. Hell, she had _slept_ with the guy who was probably gloating in his sleep at what he had just done…! Stupid, idiotic her, on the other hand, had fallen right into his trap, but really, she was asking for it. What had happened, though the details may be blurry, had been consensual, and she really couldn't argue that he had treated her badly. On the contrary, he was surprisingly gentle, understanding and even patient as the female Yato had attempted to do something on him—

'_Okay, bad train of thought. Stop it_._'_ She scolded herself as the familiar feeling between her legs slowly made its way back. Honestly, she wanted to close her eyes and sleep, for she had not yet recovered, but the thought of sadist giving her a triumphant look as soon as she opened her eyes was enough for her to decide on what she should do, and that was to go back to the Yorozuya.

Immediately, she sat up, waking up the Shinsengumi captain in the process, who jolted from his sleep and was now sitting up as well.

"What the hell, China. I was sleeping soundly—" as soon as he spoke the words, she immediately slapped him on the arm. "Oww."

"Y-you… I slept with you?!" she fully knew what had happened, but she just had to confirm it from the guy who had been well-aware of it all.

His raised eyebrows were enough for her. "It was mutual. Why the hell are you complaining?"

It wasn't as if she was complaining; more like, she was confused. Everything happened too fast, her judgment got clouded, and before she knew it, she was lying on her back, sadist hovering over her and—

"I-I gotta go." She mumbled, using the blanket to cover herself up. Hell, even if he saw her naked, it didn't mean he could take another free look the second time around.

"Where the hell are you going? It's dangerous to go out at night."

She shook her head. "I need to go home." Hastily, she grabbed her discarded clothing from the floor and discreetly began putting it back on. Several minutes later, she was fully dressed now, and had tossed away the blanket at the direction of the still-naked Sougo.

She couldn't, shouldn't stare at him, and had averted her gaze at the floor. Despite this, however, it wasn't enough to distract her from replaying the events from that afternoon, wherein his well-toned body was right in front of her and—

Her train of thought was suddenly interrupted when a hard object hit her in the face. Immediately, she looked up to glare at him, but faltered as soon as she saw the way Okita Sougo, prince of all the sadists, looked at her with so much hatred and contempt. This was certainly a first, and for some reason, it scared her.

"Get out."

"Huh?" stupid, idiotic her just had to open her mouth when it was obvious that the owner of the apartment was beyond angry right now.

"Didn't you hear me? I told you to get the fuck out." He said in an eerily calm tone that sent shivers down her spine. "You have fifteen seconds to leave before I dispose of your body."

Rubbing her sore cheek (she knew it would probably get all bruised tomorrow because of the impact), she could feel the tension running high in the air. As soon as her hands stopped shaking, she picked up her handheld console and hastily made her way out of the door. Running down the stairs of his apartment complex, she headed immediately for the direction of the Yorozuya, but had missed a stepped and fell flat on her face.

As soon as her face kissed the ground did she start to cry, and it wasn't the typical cry that girls were subject to whenever they were feeling sad. On the contrary, her own version of an emotional breakdown was that of a woman who had gotten her heart broken to pieces, and was crying out with what little dignity she had left.

In her face, however, her heart wasn't _that_ broken, just… bruised. And totally hurting.

Truth to be told, she was also confused.

Despite all the shit that sadist had done to her, why was she crying over him…?

She really didn't know.

All she could do right now was cry until she was hoarse.

She really had to get back home before she caused a scene.

Picking herself up from the ground, and wiping her face using the _qipao_ that she was wearing, the female Yato made her way back to the Yorozuya, failing to notice Okita Sougo, with a grim expression on his face, staring at her from the window of his apartment.

* * *

What the hell did he just do...?

With his mind in the gutter, his body still feeling the after-sex lust, Okita Sougo had no idea what the heck just happened.

How naive of him to think that China would immediately have a change of heart by rejecting her 2D guys and openly accept him instead. He probably scared her away.

The irony of it was that he told himself that he would be patient.

_'The fuck just happened?'_ the sadist asked himself, pressing a hand against his forehead as he slumped against the wall in defeat. Never in his life had he felt so much frustration and anger at himself. The way he felt right now was nearly the same when his beloved sister had died, and the outright rejection had hurt both his ego and his... feelings.

_'Well, this is new. Me, having... _feelings._' _ he shuddered at the thought.

Fuck it all.

A cold shower was in order.

* * *

And that's it for now. I'll try and update as soon as I can, alright...? I haven't proofread this as well 'cause I haven't recovered from last week's activities, so please bear the grammatical and spelling errors for the meantime.

Thank you again for reading, and please do review. It'll help me a lot in updating this faster.


	7. Chapter 7

May I just say that it took me four different versions to finish this chapter?

But anyway, I hope you'll enjoy the version I picked.

This chapter is unbeta'd because I had to post this immediately. I'll edit it when I have time because I'll be really busy for the upcoming days, so I finished this chapter so all of you will be able to read it.

As usual, adult situations. Please be warned.

Last note: I took liberties in interpreting how a Yato can get sick. I hope it's rather believable.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gintama. It belongs to Hideaki Sorachi. I only own the plot, the ideas and the gag in this fanfiction.

* * *

**Of Addiction and Neglect**

* * *

_Chapter 7_

* * *

From early spring, the season had turned to the hottest July summer Edo has ever had.

Kagura did what she could to keep cool, especially since her 'room' was a closet, and it could get dangerously hot there. Unfortunately, despite moving her 'room' to the couch during night time, she sweated so much that she took baths thrice a day to keep cool. She may have adapted to the temperature and weather conditions on Earth, but she was still a Yato who was sensitive to sunlight and, in her case, to the heat that was burning her alive.

"Gin-chan, can't we get an air-conditioning unit here?! I'm dying!" she whined to Gintoki, who was still clad in pajamas, obviously unable to stand the heat in his usual clothes.

"Stop complaining. If you don't move too much, you'll be fine. See, we have one electric fan each; what's the problem?" he said lazily, pointing to the two appliances while flipping the pages of his Weekly JUMP.

"But it's too hot!"

"Go take an ice cold bath."

"I just did, but it wasn't cold enough!"

At this, Sakato Gintoki completely ignored her and proceeded to tune her out with his manga reading. Kagura wanted to hit him with anything she could get her hands on, but figured out that he could just as easily throw her out to let her burn under the hot sun. Such was the nature of a sadist—

At this, she stopped her train of thought, feeling her heart flutter all of a sudden.

For the past four months, she had managed to block him away from her thoughts, yet the mere mention of the word 'sadist' had a weird reaction on her.

Ever since that incident, she would seclude herself in the closet. Gintoki, at times, would force her to buy him his beloved Weekly JUMP just so she would go out, and even Shinpachi would ask her to accompany him to the dojo to meet up regularly with Otae, but besides that, she would keep to herself, not wanting to see anyone except her Yorozuya family. The one who took Sadaharu out whenever she didn't feel well was Gintoki, but it had worked out in a form of bribes wherein she would waive her allowance for the months he walked her pet.

She didn't know what was wrong with her.

She was still the same whenever she was with Shinpachi and Gin-chan, and even _anego_, but take them out of the equation, she would suddenly feel depressed. There had been a time when Gintoki had left her alone in the Yorozuya for a job, and she didn't eat for two days. Her monstrous appetite, for some reason, had disappeared for those two days, and it only returned when Gin-chan returned.

The most shocking thing of all was that her _otome games_ couldn't give her the same satisfaction anymore. If before, she felt happy playing the routes, right now, she could only roll her eyes at the lameness of the game events. Sure, it may depend on the games she played, but despite playing her old games over and over again, it didn't have the same effect anymore.

In hindsight, she thought of what _he_ said to her way, way back.

"—_and I think that you need to be educated on how to deal with a sadist."_

Well, he _did _educate her… in more than one ways.

At this, she growled in anger, not wanting to bother with the thoughts of that sadist who was probably so fucking happy with himself right now and who was probably getting laid with the Yoshiwara courtesans—

_Ugh, why did I even go there?!_

The mental image of him having a good time in Yoshiwara was enough to piss her off badly that she seriously considered punching him in the face the next time she saw him. Or maybe now even, since she did have to drop by their compound and—

_Crap, _anego_'s letter!_

Lately, the cabaret girl had been too busy to meet up with Kondo Isao that they agreed to send each other letters, with Kagura as the go-between. She readily agreed with this setup, wanting for the two of them to work out their relationship, seeing that her own (if you could even call it a relationship) was going nowhere (it was probably dead even before it started). With that, she hastily headed to the toilet, got dressed in her trademark red dress and grabbed her flat shoes. Leather boots didn't do well in this weather, and she wanted to be as comfortable as possible. Her hair, as she didn't want to bother with it at all, was tied up in a bun on top of her head.

She took a small pouch bag that she always used to store her QSP, but ever since Kagura had decided to just play her games in her 'room', she had been using the pouch whenever she would need to go out. After stuffing the letter inside, she bid Gintoki goodbye and stepped out of the blazing sun.

If they would cross paths at the compound, so be it.

* * *

Fortunately (or probably unfortunately) for her, the sadistic First Division Captain was nowhere to be found.

The compound grounds were filled with the rank-and-file members of the police force, which Kagura deduced were doing early morning training. She wondered what the hell came over the person who was in-charge when it was blazing hot outside and—

"Oh, China-san! Looking for Kondo-san again?"

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the voice coming from the left. Immediately, she saw the _jimi_ of the Shinsengumi smiling at her. "Is he there?" she asked. At the nod, she gave out a small cough. "Is he in the meeting room?"

"Ah, yes, he is. Let me escort you."

"Nah, it's fine. I know where it is."

… _Somehow, fate is being nice to me today._

She seriously did not want to go to the compound, but a job's a job. Besides, _anego_ was willing to treat her into an all-you-can-eat okonomiyaki if she got the job done, and that was enough to motivate her. With her umbrella on her right hand, she took a deep breath and marched her way to the training grounds, trying to ignore the hot weather.

From the _genkan_, she removed her shoes, placed her umbrella in the small bin near the entrance and made her way to the halls of the compound.

"Oi, Gori!" she called out, walking over to the meeting room where he usually stayed in whenever he was at the compound. Kondo immediately looked up and grinned.

"Oh, China-san, what brings you here?"

"Letter." As soon as she uttered the magic word, the gorilla boss of the Shinsengumi suddenly turned red.

"What?! Really?!" by this time, Kagura was slowly sifting through the contents of her pouch bag, which contained mostly female accessories that _anego_ said that they needed for their everyday use. Truthfully, she never bothered with them, as she didn't really need it, but for the sake of making it look like she's using the stuff _anego_ gave her, she just let it be.

"Yep. Wait a while, will ya." She said, her eyebrows furrowing. "Found it." Immediately, Kondo Isao grabbed it and ripped the envelop open, furiously reading through the text. A grin appeared on his face, and Kagura was amused to see him smiling so openly over a letter that _anego_ wrote. The grin never failed to appear, and somehow, it made her happy as well that _anego_'s letters were making him happy.

"Can you wait for a while? I'll write down my response now."

"Yeah, sure. Gin-chan's not expecting me to be back anytime soon." She said, remembering her guardian telling her that she should go out more often. In hindsight, she wondered if Gin-chan knew why she had turned into a recluse, other than her videogame addiction. Despite his 'I-don't-care' outlook, he still was concerned about her well-being. Heck, he probably had his own suspicions—

"Would you like anything, China-san? Water? _Mugi-cha_?" Kondo asked, interrupting her thoughts, and she shook her head no, popping a piece of _kombu_ in her mouth.

"I'll stay over there." She said, pointing at the raised floor that had a view of the training grounds. The breeze was cool enough, so she sat in a mermaid pose, mindful of the slit of her skirt. Shorts were too hot to be worn right now, so Kagura settled for just her underwear beneath the skirt. She just had to be mindful of her skirt and—

She suddenly swayed to the left, but managed to recover immediately before she slammed against the wooden floor.

Immediately, she felt the need to puke, but managed to hold it in before she embarrassed herself. At her age, it was a big no-no, even if she was still the first Shonen Jump heroine to puke on-screen. Besides, _anego_ would be disappointed with her if she ruined the flooring of the Shinsengumi compound; a proper lady would stand up, go to the toilet and puke as much as she wanted.

"Hey, Gori, I'll come back for it later. I need to go home. Not feeling well." She said, trying to balance herself as she stood up.

"You can stay here if you like!" he said, mindful of the way the girl acted, who was now walking along the hallways as if she was drunk. "China-san, really, you can stay here until you feel better!" women were really not permitted to stay in the compound, but exceptions to the rules could be made.

"N-nah. I'll just… be back later. Probably in the afternoon." Slipping on her shoes from the _genkan_, she grabbed her umbrella and slowly made her way back to the Yorozuya.

* * *

A Yato rarely got sick, but when the sun was the enemy, it wasn't impossible for them to succumb to various kinds of illnesses.

In Kagura's case, she had a hunch that the crazy heat had made her delirious, and it was obvious that proper rest was in order. In her usual pace, she could get back to the Yorozuya in twenty minutes, but because she felt so dizzy, it might take her half an hour to get back.

What's more, the fates decided to play a cruel trick on her by darkening the noon sky and making it drizzle, which turned into a full-blown thunderstorm. She could barely hold on to her umbrella, and minutes after, she closed it altogether, welcoming the cold downpour against her flushed skin. Kagura was aware that the sudden change in weather could make her sicker, and that she needed to seek shelter so that she could recover her strength before going back to the Yorozuya.

The nearest place for her to seek shelter was a shrine where she could get into one of the buildings and sleep off the exhaustion.

Slowly, she made her way up the steps of the shrine. Upon reaching the _torii, _she let out a deep sigh and made her way to one of the smaller buildings located at the back of the place of worship, or the _heiden_. The place would at least give her privacy because it was closed off to the public, including her, but as long as she didn't get caught by the priest, or even the shrine maidens, she planned to let her dress dry off while she slept.

She let her umbrella rest against the building, and as soon as she opened the door of the building, Kagura's azure blue eyes widened in shock.

Inside the small wooden structure was another person seeking shelter from the rain.

That person was Okita Sougo.

* * *

Four months, and she was still hiding from him.

Ever since she had walked out on him, he hadn't been himself lately. Most of the time, he had been distracted with thoughts of her, thoughts of what had happened that night, and thoughts of how to deal with her. Of course, he kept this to himself. While outwardly, he was still the same old sadistic captain of the first division, inner turmoil invaded his thoughts. As much as Okita Sougo tried to distract himself from time to time, the feeling wouldn't go away.

It had reached a point wherein he would hardly eat, and the anxiety was enough to make him feel numb.

If this was the effect of being involved with China, he should not have pushed through with his stupid idea of pursuing her. Not only was she stubborn, but she was too hung up with her imaginary boyfriends to even glance his way.

Hell, she probably agreed to sleep with him just for the experience, then go off to her merry way to date those 2D guys.

_What the hell has she done to me?_

It sucked that she had managed to completely affect him.

It sucked that he was still hung up on her.

It sucked more that he knew that she would never _ever_ consider him.

He remembered how frightened she was when she woke up next to him that night, and how she immediately wanted to get out of his house.

Vaguely, he wondered why the hell this affected him so much when he was used to seeing his enemies tremble in fear before him. Was she an exception because she was female? He never really thought of China that way; she had always been his rival in every way possible, the two of them trying to outdo one another in just about every aspect possible. Now that he dwelled upon it, everything changed when she grew up over the past two years. Seeing her for the first time in clothes that were not her trademark _qipao_ and pants when she was fourteen had made him feel weird. The cliché would've been that he was hungry that day, but the emotions he felt that day hadn't left his system ever since.

He acted upon it, and he paid for it that he was close to becoming an emotional wreck, which sucked so much because it was affecting him and—

He heard the door open, and he was ready to talk his way to the head priest to let him stay because of the weather when he realized that he didn't have to do that anymore.

By the doorway stood the girl who had been haunting both his dreams and his reality for the past four months.

The look on her face was that of pure shock, then slowly turned into fear. Okita didn't really blame her, since they would be alone in the _heiden_. Sex was the farthest thing from his mind right now, and he couldn't care less if they were stuck in this cabin right now, and she was naked.

Okay, maybe he'd care but—

Shaking away the thoughts of a naked Kagura from his mind, he decided to break the ice between them.

A dry chuckle escaped his lips. "China."

"Sadist." She intoned, entering the small wooden cabin. The female Yato headed for the farthest location possible from him and sat on the corner.

"You look like you're about to face the executioner." He commented. "My soul may be rotten to the core, but the last thing on my mind is to even bother with someone like you."

_Lies._

"Shut up. I want to sleep. How can I sleep when someone like you continues to bother me?" she retorted, slumping her head against the walls of the building. "Go talk to yourself."

"Sure, why not."

Right then and there, silence invaded the room, and only the sound of the rain, as well as thunder, was heard.

* * *

Okita had dozed off for about half an hour before noticing that the weather wasn't letting up, and that it was best to go home, have a hot bath, and just sleep.

After all, today was his birthday, and he took advantage of his birthday leave to seclude himself yet again.

He had to admit, he felt so pathetic right now.

China really messed him up, and she was going to pay dearly for it.

"Oi, China."

No response.

'_She's probably dead.'_ Was the first thought that came into his mind, but quickly suppressed it. In a louder voice, he said, "Oi, China."

She stirred in her sleep, and looked at him with bleary eyes, her face flushed.

_What the—_

Immediately, Sougo was at her side and grabbed her arm. She yelped at the sudden contact, while he immediately dropped his hold on her, as if he got burned. "What the hell— you're burning!"

"T-that's—" Kagura squeaked when she felt herself getting lifted from the floor. "W-what are you doing?!"

The female wanted to jump down right now and make a run for it, but in her current state, she knew that if she tried, she would just hurt herself. She wasn't steady on her feet because she was still dizzy, while her eyes were puffy, and she couldn't open them properly. All she could do was hope that the sadist wouldn't leave her out in the rain and make her sicker than before just to get back at her.

'_S-sadist… I'm sorry.' _Was her last thought before she slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Using his heavy black coat, he wrapped the clothing around China's upper body before grabbing her umbrella that was lying against the wall of the building.

He hastily slipped on his shoes, placed her flats on her foot before opening the umbrella and placing her once again in his arms. She wasn't as light as he imagined her to be, but Sougo could still manage to carry her while steadily holding the umbrella to shield her from the rain. He himself was getting drenched yet again, but he didn't mind; he wasn't the one who was sick. It was nothing that a hot bath couldn't do.

Slowly but surely, he descended down the steps of the shrine and headed to the direction of his flat, which was four blocks away. Hastily, he slung China over his right shoulder, placed her umbrella down, and got the keys to his flat from the pocket of his shirt. Immediately after opening the door, he carried her again in his arms, shut the door using his foot and sat down on the _genkan _to remove both of their footwear with her sitting on his lap, still unconscious. Right after, he headed to the changing area first where he slowly undressed her.

It occurred to him that he would have to get her naked for what he intended to do, but he pushed the thought away from his mind, concentrating on the fact that she needed this bath more than anything. Hell, he already saw her naked; what difference did it make now?

With her sitting on the elevated table, Sougo untied the clasps of her _qipao_, pulled down the zipped located under her right arm, removed the wet dress over her head, and tossed the clothing in the laundry basket. Next came her undergarments, and he had struggled for a while with her bra, forgetting completely how the hell one removed it. As soon as he tossed the undergarment in the basket, he felt himself get hard at the sight of her bare breasts. Sure, he had a good look at it before, but seeing it again was enough to give him sudden flashbacks of that night—

The Shinsengumi captain willed himself to think the worst scenario possible to snap back to reality, which involved her dying in his arms. He was very familiar with the condition she was in right now, and heat stroke became life-threatening if it wasn't treated quickly.

Realizing the possibility of her dying had made him concentrate at the task at hand, and immediately, his hands grabbed the waistband of her underwear, and with one swift move, he pulled it down and tossed it over at the basket.

With her as naked as the day she was born, Okita then proceeded to carry her like a child, with her chest pressing against his own, her legs spread apart, knees pressed against his hips while both his hands supported her beneath her thighs. Using his right foot, Okita got the stool, positioned it against the wall, and lowered the unconscious girl, making sure that she wouldn't slide down and hit her head against the tub. When he was satisfied with the way she was leaning, he rolled the sleeves of his dress shirt up to his elbows, grabbed the shower head after setting the temperature to the coldest temperature possible, crouched down on his knees…

… and doused her.

Immediately, she squealed at the contact of the cold water and woke up with a start. Seeing the sadist looking at her with his usual poker-faced expression made her eyes widen. "W-w-w-what the hell?!" when he gave no reply, Kagura looked around her. "W-where the hell am I?!"

"My… place." He said.

"What the— why did you bring me here?!" she demanded. "And damn you! You stripped me naked!"

"It was necessary, China." He said smoothly. "Stop moving before you hurt yourself."

"Why should I listen to you!" immediately, she stood up, and was some paces away from punching him when she wobbled and slipped forward, landing on top of Okita, who had fallen on his back upon impact. "Ouch!"

"… China, didn't I tell you to stay still?" he said in rather cold tone. "For once, shut up and sit down. And I don't care if you're naked; the sooner I'm done with this, the faster you can get the hell out of here."

Frankly, he was tired from all this shit he was going through. He knew he had brought this upon himself, but he would see through it. As soon as China gets well, she can get the hell out of his place and back to where she belonged. Using his elbow, he propped himself up and roughly pushed her back on the stool. Kagura yelped when she felt the cold tiles against her back, but he ignored it, grabbing the shower head and hovering it over her head.

* * *

_He hates me_.

Kagura was now sitting quietly in the bathing stool, her mind wandering elsewhere while the sadist continued hovering the shower head over her head.

The topic that she had been avoiding for the past few months had finally dawned upon her, and this time, there was no escaping it. It was time for her to face the music, to confront her feelings, and to decide on what she should do with Okita Sougo.

The first thing that hit her was that Okita was colder than usual. No surprises there; she _did_ walk out on him, but only because she was very much disoriented at that time. Who would've thought that she was going to sleep with the guy who had been tormenting her since she was fourteen? The thought of it was mind-boggling, but she knew it was possible, given the fact that they have had so much tension between them that it was, she had to admit, inevitable for them to take the 'relationship' further.

Either they took the rivalry further, or they wait for something else to happen.

One thing she did not expect was that it would be too soon.

Too soon, in a sense, that after that incident on the couch, the next step was sex. Not even a few more kisses, nor even making-out. She expected the two of them, in some possible, distant future, to date a couple of times, yet the first thing that happened was _sex_. While she did not find it objectionable (she had to admit, he knew what he was doing), the shock and realization of her actions had sent her running away, unable to deal with the consequences of her actions.

She wanted to say sorry for hurting him, but Kagura knew that apologies would fall on deaf ears, especially for someone like him.

Not only that, but it was very obvious that he hated her so much that he couldn't wait for her to leave.

Well, she wouldn't leave.

But if _he_ insisted…

Well, she would probably have to resort to using a very underhanded method to be able to make him listen. It wouldn't be the best course of action, sure, but at least it would force him to listen.

Kagura ran through the plan she had in mind.

First, she'd apologize to him.

Second, if that didn't work and she gets told to get the hell out, she would have to convince him to let her stay.

Third, if that didn't work, she'd have to go with her contingency plan.

She had thought of the contingency plan so many times over, she had no more hesitations whatsoever. Her conscience was clear, her heart was ready and—

Suddenly, the water stopped running down her hair, and immediately, she looked up to see him looking at her. "Turn around." Immediately, she swung around, her back now facing him, and in an instant, the water was back on, and this time around, cold water was pouring down her back.

"C-c-c-cold!" she squealed.

"Bear with it." He said gruffly.

Several minutes later, he handed her the shower head. "Do the same for the front part of your body."

"Why?" she asked before realizing how awkward and stupid her question sounded. Immediately, her face turned into a beet red. "O-okay, that was a stupid question. Nevermind." She said, grabbing the shower head and aimed it at her neck. Kagura winced when the cold water hit her skin, and she ran it through her shoulders, her breasts, her tummy, then both her thighs and legs. Lastly, she ran it over from her arms down to her hands.

The water was shut off, and Okita stood up and left the bathroom. She was mentally prepared to stay in the shower until she got dry when she felt something land on her head.

"Get up, China." He commanded, and at once, she stood up, but not before wobbling from her the sudden action. "I didn't tell you to stand up at once. You're still not steady." He then placed a hand on her head, and before she knew it, he placed the towel over her shoulders.

"Dry yourself completely, even your hair. When you're done, get dressed with the clothes in the changing room and go to sleep."

"Go to sleep…?"

He gave her an exasperated look. "You know where my room is. Go figure it out, I've had enough of you." And with that, he walked off, failing to notice the tears that suddenly made its way down her cheeks.

It took her thirty minutes to get herself completely dry, while her hair took an hour to make it damp. Her feelings were another matter, but she at least managed to numb the pain that built up in her chest. Exiting the changing room, she headed for his room, just like he told her to, and saw the futon already laid out.

Despite the harshness he had displayed earlier, he still cared for her well-being, whether it was only because he was forced to, or he truly cared. Obviously, she would bet on the former, as it was as clear as day (if it weren't raining right now) that he really couldn't stand her. Clad in a yukata too big and too heavy for her frame, she raised the fabric that pooled around her feel before kneeling down and slowly settling on the futon. She then grabbed the pillow on the futon, hugged it, and closed her eyes. In an instant, Kagura fell asleep.

* * *

_She seriously needs to leave._

Sickness be damned, but her staying in his flat wasn't doing his sanity any good. The thought of her wearing _his clothes_, sleeping on _his futon,_ and _simply_ staying over for whatever reason was enough to force himself to slam his head against the wall several times to wipe off the thoughts that ran through his head.

Right now, he was soaking in the tub, the hot water soothing his aching muscles. It was no easy task carrying a teenage girl over and over again. It may look so damn romantic in those soap operas on television, but in real life, it wasn't all rainbows and horned mythical creatures. It was the ultimate hell for men everywhere, especially if the girl happened to be not so slim and light.

He wondered if he was such a masochist for allowing himself to bend over backwards just to see her get well, but the Shinsengumi captain knew that this was some sort of apology duty for the mess up he did four months ago. At least when she gets well, his conscience would probably not bother him anymore, and everything would go back to the way it was before those damn QSP games made its way into her life and distracted her, taking her attention away from everything else.

Including him.

Sighing, he got up from the tub, took a towel from the rack and covered himself on the waist. Since his yukata was on a loan to the house guest, he took one of his dress shirts from the drawer and wore it, not bothering to button it up. Okita then rummaged through his pile of pants before finding the most comfortable pair that he owned. Boxers went first, then the pants, which slung on his hips, and he didn't bother buttoning up, only zipping it as he was too damn lazy to do so.

He exited the bathroom and headed off to his room to check up on his house guest. Sure enough, he found her lying on her back, snoring softly. The yukata was on the verge of exposing her breasts, and he immediately pulled the _tomoeri_ to fix the malfunction. At least the part below the _obi_ was still not exposing… anything sensitive that would probably make him unable to stand because of the sudden pain he would experience in the lower, front part of his body. Shaking his head to clear away the thoughts, he placed a palm against her forehead and was relieved to find that her temperature had gone down considerably. It was a good move on his part to douse her in ice cold water to lower her body temperature.

He grabbed the blanket that was all bunched up by her feet, spread it out and bundled her with it, making sure that she wouldn't get neither hot nor cold. The window was open, and while the breeze was cool, Okita knew that a slight chill in the air could cause a relapse. He couldn't afford to get her sick again, just when he was truly decided on what he should do with her.

A few more hours, and she would get well soon and get out of his apartment.

Three hours later, at eight in the evening, Kagura woke up for her long nap.

This time around, she felt full rested, and even refreshed. It may have been because she wasn't chilled this time around, nor was she suffering from delirium caused by the fever. The cold bath had helped, as well as the warm _moufu_ that was wrapped around her body. Whoever bothered to wrap her was really a good person and—

Ah, wait… did he…?

Immediately, she sat up and looked around her, both wanting to see him and to talk to him.

Okita, who was leaning against the wall of his room, noticed that she was awake and looking around her. "You're awake." He then made his way to her side and touched her forehead once again, ignoring the way her face turned red from the contact. "Looks like the fever's gone."

"Y-yeah, looks like it." She mumbled.

"Good. Now you can leave." He said immediately.

"H-huh?" Kagura blinked, unsure if she had heard it right.

"The rains have stopped, the night sky is shining brightly, and you're all better now. You don't have a reason to stay here." He shrugged.

"W-wait, I—" she swallowed. "I have to tell you something." Immediately, he turned his head to face her, and she struggled not to blush upon seeing his stare at her intensely.

"I-I'm sorry for what I did four months ago and—"

"Apology accepted. Now leave." He replied nonchalantly, his blood-red eyes boring into her own, making her uncomfortable.

Kagura knew she was running out of time, and that he was more than determined to make sure that she leaves his place as soon as possible. Part one of her plan failed, so she was determined to make sure that the second one would work.

She was feeling less confident over her contingency plan, now that she had tasted first-hand his rejection.

"Y-you want me to walk back to the Yorozuya during the night, when there's a chance for me to get assaulted?" she hoped that the 'I'm-a-helpless-little-girl' ploy would work. "Or even have a relapse?

Unfortunately for her, the sadist refused to budge. "Helpless? Hardly. You're strong enough to handle soldiers on your own. What's two yakuza members compared to that?" he asked sardonically. "You're sleeping way too long in my futon; get out so I can sleep in peace." _And just forget the fact that this birthday is the worst._

That. Was. It.

Contingency plan looked like it would push through.

"Is that so…?" came her breathy response, which nearly made him raise an eyebrow. Before he could even process the thought of a seductive China, he found her crawling towards him. Just before Sougo could open his mouth and tell her off, she straddled him immediately and grabbed the collar of his shirt to give him a kiss on the lips.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please do review!


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